XBrats
by DreamerMatrix
Summary: AU X-Men. Sinister rules America, DareDevil is an X-Man, and there's a whole loada complex stuff going on. R 'n' R, please... A DreamerMatrix-WesternBlakeHawke collaberation
1. Evil sows the seeds

Disclaimer: Sinister, DareDevil, and any other Marvel characters who appear in this fic are not my property. This is a non-commercial venture. 

Disclaimer 2: Any OC's in this fic are the property of WesternBlakeHawke and myself. The two AU's in this universe are the work of myself (AoS 2), Blake (AoS 2), and various admins at http:ageofsinister. (AoS 1). Various aspects of the kids' profiles will be revealled during this fic, which will hopefully keep running...

Success!

Sinister smiled sickly as he entered the room. Two dozen prime subjects. Two dozen slaves. Two dozen hostages, to be used against X-Corps. He'd fought many battles against those annoying do-gooders, but this would be the last. This time, X-Corps would be fighting X-Corps. Because the hostages he had were the children of Matt Murdock, the blind lawyer, and his wife, Will Murdock. Not all bological, the older ones were adopted, the younger ones Matt's, the ones in between from Will's first marriage. But all of them potential allies or enemies to Sinister's cause.

There was a groan, followed by the sound of fist on flesh. Sinister turned to see that a guard had just knocked one of the boys out again. The oldest boy, nineteen year old Nathaniel Templeton. A dangerous one. Old enough to know what Sinister was about, maybe too old to be taught to obey without seriously damaging his power ability. Very protective, which is why he needed to be unconscious while Sinister was in the room. Nathaniel Templeton, affectionately codenamed Yoda by his three year old brothers, Ben and Bret Murdock, who lay asleep in the cots Sinister had designed for the younger children. Special incubator-like cots that pumped the occupants full of X-gene activator serum as they slept. The young man was chained to the wall, as were his biological siblings, all of whom had active X-genes. Very powerful as well. The Templetons were fourth generation mutants. On that count, they would have been eleven at the oldest when their powers developed. Meaning Nathaniel Templeton had been a mutant for at least eight years. Three of those years with X-Corps. He would be dangerous, if he couldn't be forced to see Sinister's way of thinking.

Sinister walked along the line of Templetons. Only Nathaniel was unconscious. The boy was a telepath, and a telekinetic. Which, Sinister decided, was what had settled his codename. The young man was no fighter, unlike his little green namesake. Eighteen year old Christie Templeton stared unblinking at him. Cat-like, as if the chains were no object, and she wanted to rip his throat out. Tigris, her codename was. Tiger. Untamed, for now. Maybe not much longer. Silver-tongued seventeen year old Ames Templeton was next in line. The boy was gagged, but his eyes held the same hatred for Sinister that appeared in his older sister's. Ames was called Loki, and now sinister finally saw the boy in person he understood why. Ames looked like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth, but like Xavier had been able to do, Loki could bend anyone to his will. Eventually. A power that could cause a lot of trouble. After Ames came fourteen year old Allie, an amphibious young woman known as Gi-Potiza, who was obviously not fairing well in the rather dry conditions. Sinister beckoned to one of the guards, who brought Allie a drink of water as Sinister looked at the twin Templetons, Ryan and Rowanne. He frowned, then backhanded each of them. Ryan spat at the man in disgust, while Rowanne just hung from the chains, unconscious now. The cuffs on the twins' chains showed fire and ice damage. Meaning the twins had been trying to escape. Sinister swung a fist at Ryan's stomach, only to be met by a wall of ice. That settled that then. Ryan was an ice-former, while Rowanne had supplied the flames. Opposing powers combining, in an attempt to thwart Sinister's plans. Sinister left the twins, to look at the final active X-gened Templeton sibling. Dean Templeton, the healer Apollo. The youngest mutant, but apparently the most sensible. Dean's eyes were closed, his breathing slow and shallow. Sleeping on his feet.

Sinister turned from the Templetons, to look at the three rows of cots. Three rows of seven, with four cots empty. In the row closest him were two sets of triplets, and a single. Carrie, Cassidy and Cooper, all eleven years old, then Ashleigh Templeton, aged ten, showing signs of being a healer, but being given X-gene activator just to be sure, then seven year olds Amy, Amber and Adam. The two sets of triplets were Blake-Debonnaires, children from Will Murdock's first marriage. Completing the Blake-Debonnaire set, on the second row of cots, were twelve year old twins Jessica and Jennifer Blake-Debonnaire. Although the same age as Dean Templeton, Jennifer and Jessica did not yet have obvious powers. Dean was still new to his, though, no more than eight months in to his powers. The remaining eight children were the ones Sinister had most hope for as bait. All Murdocks, two sets of triplets and one set of twins. Four year olds Samual, Sean and Sophie, three year olds Ben and Bret, and year old triplets, Elijah, Erin and Ethaniel. Both Erin and Samual Murdock were blind, but then so was their father, and it had never stopped him. More was the pity. Sinister left the Templetons chained, and had the cots wheeled out of the room.

Three hours later, the children were returned, some in tears, others the same hatred in their eyes that now shone in the eyes of all seven Templetons, Nathaniel, Rowanne and Dean having regained consciousness. Cooper, Carrie and Cassidy each carried a one year old, all of whom were screaming, while Ashleigh held the hand of Samuel, making sure he didn't fall over anything. Jennifer and Jessica held the hands of Bret and Ben. Nathaniel struggled against his chains, not wanting to use his powers in case the kids got hurt by mistake. He slammed the door shut behind the guards as they left, though, and then carefully unlocked the shackles around his wirsts, and those of his bio siblings. Figuring they were being watched, he took Ethaniel from Cassidy, and rocked the oldest triplet reassuringly until he calmed down. As Ethan stopped screaming, Erin and Elijah quietened down too.

"You know what, bro," Chris drawled, "one day, you'll make someone a great husband."

Somewhat in shock, this made Jessica and Jennifer burst out laughing. Dean looked at them, and then moved to hug the two girls, who had tears pouring down their faces. Sam pulled away from Ashleigh, and joined his adopted brother in hugging his sisters. Ryan rubbed his wrists with normal hands, then walked over to Nate.

"Here, bro, let me look at that," he said, holding a cold hand to his older brother's jaw, which was bruised and swollen from being hit a lot. Nate winced as his younger brother touched the dark marks, then shivered, but didn't argue. Ashleigh sat down on the floor, and was about to start talking when Sophie started babbling.

"Sam made this guy faint by touching him," she said. "The guy was going to hit him, but Sam did that dodge thing Dad's been teaching us all and grabbed the guy's arm and just held it, and he fainted real quick. It was cool. I didn't know he could do that."

"Don't be a dummy, SJ," Coop said. "None of what happened just now was meant to happen 'til we were older."

Sophie poked here tongue out, and Nate held up a hand, to calm things down.

"What do you mean, Coop?" Adam asked.

"All that stuff we can all do now," Coop replied. "Wolf stuff. That trick you pulled which nearly suffocated you, Soph. Sam being much more confident now. He never pulled away from a helper before, if help was offered. That kinda thing. Allie took a spill earlier, cut her arm. It's all healed up now. I think Sinister activated our X-genes. He's gonna use us when they come to get us."

Coop looked at Cassidy, sadly.

"Especially you, Cass. Apart from Uncle Deak, X-Corps doesn't have anyone who can withstand that extra thing you got."

Cassidy bit her lip.

"So, you all got powers?" Dean asked. "That's cool. what did you get?"

"The babies got wolf stuff, but can't morph yet. They also got that touch thing Dad has," Carrie said. "All the Murdocks got that."

"Me and SJ gots more though," Sam said, almost happily. "I got the ability to manipulate blood pressure, and SJ gots the ability to change at-mos-pher-ic pressure."

He said atmospheric slowly, the word twisting in his mouth when he tried to say it fast. Nate looked at Chrissie anxiously when Sam revealed this.

"That's Deak down, too," Chris said, voicing Nate's thoughts. "If she can control atmospheric pressure, she can suffocate all of them. Can't breathe proper thin air."

Sophie started to cry.

"I don' wanna hurt nobody!" she stated, as Rowanne scooped her up and hugged her.

"It'll be OK, SJ," Rowanne soothed the four year old. But the words sent a shiver down Cooper's back.

"So we sorted out the Murdocks," Dean said. "How 'bout the Blake-Debonnaires?"

"We all got cool powers," Amber said. "The wolf stuff mom has, with morphing and everything, plus extra stuff."

"Extra stuff?" Allie managed to croak out. Nate stood, and banged on the door.

"HEY! My kid sister needs a permanent supply of water! How 'bout you turn on the damned sprinkler system!"

He kept banging until half the sprinkler system was switched on, soaking half the kids, but helping Allie stay alive.

"Nate!" Amy said in surprise. "You said a bad word!"

"Worked though." Nate said, sitting down in a puddle. Sean started smiling, splashing around.

"You looked real red when you did that, Nate," Sean said.

"Red?" Dean frowned. "Waddaya mean, red? He's not red."

"No, he's yellow now," Sean said, happily. This time, Ash looked at Sean with a frown.

"How 'bout me, Sean. What colour am I?"

"You're misty blue," he said. "Kinda confused."

"ESP," Allie said, softly, still recovering from the dehydration. "Mom had it. That's cool, Sean."

"Right," Dean said. "So what extra stuff did ya all get?"

Carrie shrugged.

"I got a language thing. One of the guards cursed in French 'cos Sam tripped. I never took Spanish, but I understood what he said. Snarled at him like Mom does when she gets annoyed with one of us for ragging on another."

Cassidy smiled.

"I got a bad ol' banshee scream," she said. "It's not fair. Banshee screamin's no use to anyone, 'less ya wanna bust an ear drum."

Coop hugged Cass.

"Sinister'll know how to use that scream," he said. "That's a bad thing. You and Sophie alone can kill all of X-Corps."

"Not helping, Coop," Cass stated. "You're lucky, you just got TK, like mom."

"Yeah, I threw a metal ball across the room without touching it, yay me," Coop retorted, sarcastically. "Watch me win Kiddie League."

Cass punched Coop on the shoulder. Before an argument could start up, Amber spoke.

"I got a cool power. I got animal control. Coop turned into a wolf and was gonna jump me, but I saw him and pointed a hand and said no, and he didn't. He looked surprised, as if he couldn't jump."

"I couldn't," Coop said. "It was really weird. But it'll help you with being a vet."

Amber nodded in agreement.

"I got to fly!" Amy stated.

"You did not!" Adam said. "Can't fly without wings. You levitated. The guard said."

"Same thing," Amy replied.

"Whatever. I created an illusion. Jus' a lil one. But still got the power."

"And I got healing factor," Ash said. "Like Wolverine, not Dean."

Dean looked at Jen and Jess, who were still holding on to him as if their lives depended on it.

"How 'bout you two?" he asked.

"We got electrokinesis," they replied in unison. "Trying not to get wet."

They were stood in the drier part of the room, making sure not to get in contact with the water.

"So we all have powers," Nate said. "Sinister wants us to do something with them."

One month later, Sinister came to the room, with some news. Nate slammed him into the wall telekinetically, still sat on the bed, consoling Cassidy, who was still distraught over the deaths of their parents, which Sinister had forced her to take part in.

"This better be good, Essex," Coop snarled, extremely wolf-like. "Otherwise Sam'll be annoyed. Right Sam?"

"Right," Sam said. Like his dad, Sam had no fear. He'd willingly step into anything.

"Me too," Sophie stated, moving to stand next to her brother. "You'sa bad man."

Sinister straightened up his shirt cuffs, as John Deacon entered the room.

"We're going home, kids. Then I'll deal with Sinister later."

"Threats, threats, threats," Sinister said. "Worth nothing."

Two months later, Deak was sure he'd found the safest place for the kids to stay. X-Corps in this universe was no more, but he'd found another universe, where there were no versions of the two dozen kids, and where Matt and Will were still alive. He'd be dumping a load of uninvited kids on their dorstep, but he didn't care. It meant they would be safe. didn't it?

TBC...


	2. Shocked much?

Disclaimer: Sinister, DareDevil, and any other Marvel characters who appear in this fic are not my property. This is a non-commercial venture.

Disclaimer 2: Any OC's in this fic are the property of WesternBlakeHawke and myself. The two AU's in this universe are the work of myself (AoS 2), Blake (AoS 2), and various admins at http:ageofsinister. (AoS 1). Various aspects of the kids' profiles will be revealled during this fic, which will hopefully keep running...

They were sitting down for dinner when there was a knock at the door. A month on from the wedding, and all was still bliss in the Murdock household. Twelve kids and six adults were happily settled down, and Blake sighed as she went to open the door.

Twenty four kids were in the corridor, and two of them instantly ran and grabbed her, hugging her legs.

"Mommy!" Bret and Ben yelled. Three babies, in the arms of three older kids, reached out to be hugged by a woman who smelled and looked like their mum.

Stunned, Will automatically hugged the two boys. The smell she got from them said they were hers but not hers, and fourteen of the other twenty-two children were the same. She looked at the oldest, as if puzzled. He didn't smell like he was biologically hers, but there was something about him and all the kids that suggested they knew who she was.

Cassidy handed Erin to Ashleigh, and hugged Will tightly, tears running down her face.

"I think you should put dinner on hold," Nate said. "This is gonna take some time."

Ten minutes later, Cade was looking at the kids as if he was going to faint. They were all sat in the family room, most of them on the floor.

"Thirty-six kids," Cade kept muttering. "Thirty-six kids..."

Nate smiled.

"Before we get down to names and stuff, you need to know the deal. We all have powers. In our universe, Sinister used us to take out X-Corps. He kidnapped us all, and activated the X-gene in the younger kids. Then he used Cassidy to kill our versions of you."

He was speaking softly, so he didn't disturb the younger kids, who just thought it had been a game, that Will and Matt had never been dead. Only the Murdock kids thought this, the older kids knew what was really going on.

"It started in our world when you met Mike," Nate continued. As oldest, he was going to do the background stuff. "You were sixteen when you married. You had your first set of kids when you were two months off seventeen, twin girls, Jessica and Jennifer. Next set of kids were triplets, Cassidy, Carrie and Cooper. You were three months off eighteen by then. The final set of kids were another set of triplets, Amy, Amber and Adam. You were twenty-one then, and Mike was seven months dead. Sophia had control of the family. Don't remember what was said about that in this part of the multiverse. You met Matt when you were twenty-two. Whirlwind romance, quick marriage. Eight biological kids by Matt. Sophie, Sam and Sean when you were 24, Bret and Ben when you were 25 and the babies, Ethaniel, Erin and Elijah when you were 27."

He took a deep breath, then continued.

"Which leaves the eight of us. Nathaniel, Christie, Ames, Ryan, Rowanne, Allie, Dean and Ashleigh. The Templetons. We were the only surviving members of the Templeton family, who died in an anti-mutant attack. At the time, Allie was new to her powers, while Dean and Ashleigh were only kids. although we knew they'd be mutants, we all were. Fourth generation mutants, all eight of us. As US citizens, we were shipped back to New York. I think you were still pregnant with the twins, or you'd just had them, or something. Anyway, I kicked up a fuss 'cos they tried to split us up. So Matt took our case. We guess he told you about it, 'cos next thing we know, we're being told our lawyer wants to become our father. Which is basically it, until three years later, when Sinister got his hands on us, and took out X-Corps."

There was a pause. Matt looked amazed that his alternate self had managed to be talked into having eight bio kids, while cade almost fell off his chair. Will looked around seriously, at everyone, and stated firmly:

"They're staying."

This time Cade did fall off his chair.

"Aww man," he muttered. "Thirty six kids..."

Alec grinned.

"Where was I in all this?" he asked Nate.

Nate grinned.

"Chris had a crush on you. You stood to inherit the company when Sophia died, Mike was disinherited when he married Will. But you were dating Leah. Whoever it is fell off his chair, and the guy with his arm around Leah, don't have alternatives in our universe."

Chris opened her mouth, dumbfounded that Nate had said that. She punched him on the shoulder before finally gathering her words.

"You promised you'd never tell!" she told him.

"Hey, he's single now," Nate replied with a grin.

Leah blushed bright red when Nate said she and Alec had been dating, while Alec just stared.

"Leah and me? No way," he said. "That'd be weird. Not that Leah is weird, but she's more like a sister than a, y'know. romantic interest."

The cubs grinned, hugging Will when she said the twenty-four kids were staying. Then they looked at the kids and smiled.

"Leah's husband is Dec," they said in unison. "And Cade fell off his chair. Dec is part wolf, and an empathic healing screamer with optic blasting eyes. His code name is Rebel Wolf, and he's nineteen. Mommy likes that name. Cade can switch faces. He has two. And he can do illusions too. he's twenty-six, and his code name is Janus."

Danni smiled, taking up the introductions.

"I'm Danni, 15, codenamed Jedi. Telekinetic."

Danni's words got a reaction from Nate, Ben and Bret, who all looked at her. She smiled and continued.

"My kid sister is Meg, Shikaku. ESP-er. She's five. All the adopted kids had their X-genes activated, and all the kids here were adopted apart from the quads."

"That's us," Jay, Jake, Josh and Joe said. "Jay, Jake, Josh and Joe. We're Will and Mike's kids in this dimension. Sometimes we're called Manifold, 'cos we can merge. We're eight, most the time."

"And you can morph to wolves," Cooper said.

"Yeah, how'd you know that?" Cade asked

"All us bio kids can," Coop said.

"Anyway," the quads continued, impatiently. "As Manifold we can't morph, but we have banshee genes, so we can scream and fly. And we're sixteen as him."

"Levitate," Adam said, instantly. "You need wings to fly."

"Quiet, Adam!" Amy stated. "You don't know nothin'."

"Quiet down, both of you," Nate said. "Let these other kids continue."

Connor smiled.

"I'm Connor," he said. "Walking nuke. Known as Atomik, with a K not a C. My kid bio sis is Tori, she's a speedster with ADHD, so tough to keep track of. Her nickname is Sprite. I'm twelve, and she's two."

"I'm Rob," Rob stated. "Only child, six years old. Called Chance, 'cos I can manipulate the laws of probability. Then there are the Thomases. Dom is six too, she can turn herself invisible, so she's called Wraith, and Lee is called Duo, 'cos she can create a clone of herself. She's five. Their younger sister is Jas, aged three, she's like a precog or prescient or something, so she's called Fate."

"How about all you kids?" Alec asked Nate, seeing Will and Matt were still kind of shell shocked.

"Well, I'll start with the youngest, work the way up," he said. "That way the kids can chip in as I go along. The Murdock kids are the youngest. Elijah, Erin and Ethaniel are the youngest, then Ben and Bret. They only have what we've come to call the basics: Wolf abilities like thier mom, senses, canine telepathy & empathy but as far as we know, only with you, Will. The older kids can get in to their heads, but no replies.They also have very sensitive skin and can perceive minute changes in the temperature & pressure of the surrounding atmosphere. The older triplets are Sam, Sean and Sophie. They have the basics too, but an extra each. Like Erin, Sam is blind, but he has the ability to manipulate blood pressure by touch. Sophie, on the other hand, can manipulate atmospheric pressure. Nearly suffocated herself finding that out. And Sean's another ESP-er. He's started having real bad nightmares recently."

"That's easy to sort out," Cade said. "Stick a power inhibitor on him before he goes to bed each night."

"Power inhibitor?" Nate asked, confused.

"Later," Dec stated. "Continue with the introductions."

Nate nodded.

"After the Murdocks are the Blake-Debonnaires," he said. "As Cooper mentioned, they can all morph to various wolf ages, and have the canine empathy-telepathy-sense thing going on. The youngest triplets are seven. Adam, the youngest, can create small illusions. Amber can control animals. She stopped Coop from jumping her in wolf form-"

"Thank god for small mercies," Cade interrupted. "Amber is one childminding duty."

"Nuh-uh!" the quads stated. "She's younger'n us!"

"And Amy," Nate asserted, "can levitate, or fly, or whatever you want to call it. Next up in age is Ashleigh, but she a Templeton, so she can wait. The next set of triplets are the eleven year olds. Cooper, the youngest, then Carrie, then Cassidy. As well as the usual morph-canine issues, they each have an ability."

"I have banshee scream," Cassidy said. "Sinister made me scream, then k-killed everyone while they were r-recovering. Only Deak got away."

Cooper gave Cassidy a hug, while Carrie spoke.

"I'm a linguist," she said. "We were all taught French any way, but I can translate languages I've never been taught before, if I'm close enough to a native speaker of that language."

Cooper smiled.

"I got TK," he said. "Gonna use it to win Kiddie League baseball."

"You're a prescient too," Meg said, shyly. "You got the same purple colour Jas has."

Cooper looked shocked, then glanced at Sean. Sean looked at Jas, then at Coop, and nodded.

"She right," he said, much to Meg's delight.

Coop frowned.

"I didn't know that," he said.

"Me and Jen are the oldest," Jess said, as Cooper started to think. "We're more powerful together, but still electrokinetics when we're apart."

"Then there are us," Ashleigh said. "The AU adoptees. The Templetons. I'm Ashleigh, aged ten. I was close to developing my powers anyway, but no, Sinister had to accelerate it. I have healing factor."

"Dean," Dean said. "Aged twelve. Can heal others, so I'm called Apollo."

"I'm Allie, Gi-Potiza, an amphibian. Fourteen years old."

"Ryan and Rowanne," the twins said simultaneously. "Flame and Ice."

"I'm pyrokinetic," Rowanne said.

"And I'm an ice creator," Ryan said.

"I'm Loki," Ames said. "That's my code name, not my real name. My real name is Ames, and I'm seventeen. I'm like Uri Geller, only with minds instead of spoons."

"Chris Templeton. I'm eighteen, and can morph into any feline form. So I'm called tigris. It's latin for Tiger."

"Which leaves me," Nate said. "Nathaniel Templeton. Nineteen year old telekinetic-telepath."

He looked at Danni and grinned.

"Codenamed Yoda."

Will smiled, and hugged each of the new kids, finishing with an extra-long hug for Cassidy. then she turned to look at Matt.

"We're going to need two more floors," she told him.

Tori, meanwhile, looked at Sophie and smiled.

"Me's'a Sprite," she said. "What's'a youse codename?"

"Don't have one," Sophie said. "On'y the Templetons do."

"Mommy!" Tori shouted. "Dey don't got codenames!"

Cade, finally getting over the shock, at least until his chocolate supply was raided, looked at Ben.

"'Ulv," he stated, "wolf in Norwegian...your turn Dec."

"Buraindotacchi" Will stated, looking at Sam, before Dec could speak. "Blind touch in Japanese."

Ash grinned, looking at Cade.

"I'm Tor," she said. "Norwegian for Dare."

"Yeah," Dean said, "she's been crazy since she could use a baby walker."

"And Sam," Chris added, "Sam's just like his dad."

Will sighed.

"Not another two," she muttered. "That does it, I'm ringing those labtechs. They're making kiddie sized body armour!"

Smiling, Matt stood up and stopped Will from ringing the techs.

"I see your point, Will, but ya can't wrap 'em in cotton wool forever."

Although he was wondering what the hell they'd gotten themselves into.

"Anyway, Dec cut in, "since we're on a language theme, how about Lingua Franca for Carrie?"

Carrie nodded.

"Cool," she said.

Alec grinned.

"And Cassidy can be Zekkyou," he said. "Japanese for scream."

"Anyone got any chocolate?" Amy asked. "I'm hungry."

"No," Meg said, shyly. "You're garou. Hungarian for hungry wolf."

"You remember that?" Danni asked. "You weren't more than two when mom taught you that."

"Yeah," Meg said. "But mom taught me it."

Will looked at Coop and grinned.

"Finish a set," she said. "Cooper can have a latin name. Lapsus."

"Gradual movement," Cooper said, "Cool."

"Bret'sa Wolvie," Tori stated.

"Me can't be Wolvie," Bret said. "Me no gots claws, and me's no like bikes. Me's like taking bikes apart."

But he still hugged Tori in thanks for the suggestion, so she knew he would have taken it if he had had claws and liked bikes like that.

"How about another hungarian name?" Danni suggested. "Farkasember. It means werewolf."

Bret looked at Danni, and nodded, before running to hide behind Will.

Jasmine took her thumb from her mouth, and used both hands to point at Jen and Jess.

"Lextrick," she said. "Lex 'n' Trick."

The twins both hugged her.

"Thanks, Jas, that's great," they said.

Jas grinned, and Rob smiled, suddenly remembering something.

"Meg's name is Shikaku," he said. "Which means sense of sight. How about Shokkaku for Erin? She's blind, so she'll use touch more. Sense of touch."

Erin looked at Rob and gurgled happily.

"Ethan can have that name too," Matt spoke up. "Sense of touch. In Japanese, as well. Kanshoku."

Jen and Jess laughed.

"Sounds like that'd be good for us. Can-shock-you," Jen said.

"Talking of senses," Leah said, softly, blushing as thirty-three wolves and a cat turned to look at her, "Sean has six. I think the term for the six senses in Japanese is Rokkan."

"I like that," Sean said. "'S easier to say than the others. T'ank you, Leah."

Leah blushed again, and Dec hugged her.

"I'll finish another set," Cade said. "Sophie can be Kiatsu. Atmospheric pressure."

Sophie grinned.

"T'anks, Cade, that's cool," she said.

"You're welcome," Cade replied, smiling for the first time since setting eyes on the two dozen children.

"Who's left?" the quads asked.

Nate did a head count, then answered the question.

"Eli, Adam and Amber," he told the four cubs.

"Amber could be called Wolfin," the cubs said. "Dutch for she wolf."

"And on the subject of Dutch," Alec continued, "Berührungsempfindlich is Dutch for touch sensitive. For Elijah."

"Da's a lon' name," Tori said, pouting. "Me's'a no say that.

"Got an easier one for Adam," Conn said, ruffling his little sister's hair. "Lupus. Latin for wolf."

"I'm still hungry!" Amy moaned. "I wan' food!"

"I'll call the canteen," Will said. "And we can talk further while we eat." 


	3. Planning ahead

Disclaimer: Sinister, DareDevil, and any other Marvel characters who appear in this fic are not my property. This is a non-commercial venture.

Disclaimer 2: Any OC's in this fic are the property of WesternBlakeHawke and myself. The two AU's in this universe are the work of myself (AoS 2), Blake (AoS 2), and various admins at http:ageofsinister. (AoS 1). Various aspects of the kids' profiles will be revealled during this fic, which will hopefully keep running...

An hour later, and various kids were splattered with various forms of sauce, soft drinks and baby food. Ethan kept trying to eat his finger instead of the food Nate was patiently attempting to spoon into his mouth. Eli was sucking on a bottle being held for him by Cade, the one year old having attached himself to the two-faced mutant after smelling chocolate on him. Erin was happily being fed by Chris, who had apparently mastered the art of feeding one of the triplets and eating her own meal at the same time.

"So, what are we going to do about sleeping arrangements until the extension is complete?" Will asked.

Cooper grinned.

"Allie's easy," he joked. "She'll sleep in the bath."

"Hey," Allie said. "That's not a bad idea."

"I was only kidding," Coop frowned. "Didn't think it'd be taken seriously."

Leah looked at Will, shyly, and spoke up.

"Two of the kids can bunk in mine and Dec's room," she said. "We're moving out."

"We are?" Dec repeated.

Leah nodded.

"I went to the med bay today," she said. "To check something out."

She looked at Dec, and smiled.

"I'm... I'm pregnant, Dec."

Cade stared at Leah, mouth wide open.

"Congrats, kiddo," Will said, hugging Leah. Dec just stood there, gobsmacked, before hugging Leah too. Everyone took turns hugging Leah, and when Coop hugged her, he looked at Cade and burst out laughing.

"What?" Cade asked. "What's funny!"

"Y-ya g-gonna f-fall off ya ch-chair," Cooper warned, laughing so hard he could hardly talk. "L-Leah's h-having o-octuplets."

Leah looked at Coop, and OOB-ed before fainting, her astral form disappearing. Dec recovered just enough to catch her before she could hit the floor, while Matt caught Cade before he could knock Eli's highchair over. Eli's lower lip started to wobble as Cade left his side, so Matt hastily steadied the younger man back next to the baby.

"Hey, Cade," Nate said, "I think Eli likes you."

"Maybe you should room with him tonight," Chris suggested, cheekily.

Cade looked absolutely terrified, glancing at Will, as if she could get him out of the situation. Will grinned evilly.

"I think that sounds like a good idea," she said, seriously.

Cade turned even paler. Alec smiled, as Dec lay Leah out on the floor.

"Think about it, bro," Alec told Cade. "Babies are a real woman magnet."

Cade brightened up, but Will frowned.

"In that case," Will said, "the three babies can share the room next to mine and Matt's. With connecting door."

Eli started screaming as Will announced this, reaching out for Cade. Cade picked Eli up, reluctantly, as if the baby were a bomb, and Eli immediately stopped screaming and grinned. Will rolled her eyes.

"You can share until Eli comes to his senses," she said. "Or until you lose the scent of chocolate, Cade."

"And you hold a baby like this," Chris said, taking Erin from her highchair. She moved the baby girl so that her right arm supported Erin's bottom, so Erin could wrap an arm around Chris's neck. Her left hand she crossed across the back of Erin's back, so she couldn't fall backwards. Erin stuck a thumb in her mouth, and rested her head on Chris's shoulder. Cade looked at Chris, and after a minute or two passed without Erin showing any signs of screaming, he copied her. Eli coppied Erin, sucking his thumb and resting his head sleepily on Cade's shoulder.

There was a knock at the door, and John Deacon teleported into the room, with three carry-cots, which he nearly dropped as he saw the bunch of kids in the room.

"Which orphanage closed down now?" he asked, looking at Will. Then Sam smiled, and ran at him, jumping up and hugging him.

"UNCLE DEAK!" the blind boy yelled. "You said you weren't gonna come!"

Deak dropped the cots in surprise, and hugged Sam, who had wrapped his legs around Deak's waist. Nate smiled at Deak.

"Guess you're this dimension's equivalent of our uncle," he said. "You don't look like him, but Sam should know. You smell the same. He's blind, y'see."

Deak relaxed. Alternate dimensions he could deal with. He wasn't sure he was completely happy with it, but he could deal with it.

"I got a call from Mrs S, saying three cots were needed here," he said. "She sounded kinda confused. Guess that explains it."

Nate smiled.

"Quick intros," he said. "Youngest to oldest. Eli, on Cade's shoulder, Erin, Ethan, Ben, Bret, Sam, who has wrapped himself around your waist, Sean and Sophie. They're all Murdocks."

Deak nodded. Now he took time, he scented Will and Matt on all the kids. Only, not quite Will and Matt.

"Then there are Adam, Amber, Amy, Cooper, Cassidy, Carrie, Jen and Jess," Nate continued. "The Blake-Debonnaires. Which leaves the adopted kids, the Templetons. My lot," Nate continued. "Ashleigh, Dean, Allie, Rowanne, Ryan, Ames, Christie and me. Nathaniel. I prefer Nate. Your alternative in our dimension sent us here so we'd be safe from Sinister. X-Corps was destroyed there."

Deak frowned.

"He got X-Corps and the academy?" Deak said. "Better tactician than our version then."

X-Corps was a replacement for the Xavier Institute, and for Bayville High. It offered education to younger mutants, sanctuary to those whom Sinister had not yet corrupted, and opposition, albeit seemingly futile opposition, to Sinister's plans for world domination. The institute had been blown up by Emma Frost, killing Charles Xavier and Scott Summers. Many of the students at Bayville high, both mutant and human, had been killed by Sinister's Marauders, headed by a re-biologicalised Malice. Those that survived were few, some captured by Sinister, others retreating to South Africa, then later to Geneva, where X-Corps were now based. Attacks on Sinister had lead to further losses, to those of the siblings, Hannah and Richard Sharpe, who had previously run the combatitive section, with Deak's help. But never making any dent in Sinister's armour.

"With ours," Deak said, "you can count on sickness, and on general unadulterated evil. He knows exactly what buttons to push. Only he pushed my buttons too hard, and triggered the Kaos effect. Which accounts for the looks."

Cade, Chris and Conn settled the triplets into carry cots, while Will led the younger kids, from aged seven downwards, towards their bedrooms so they could sleep, as more than a few of them were starting to yawn. Once the kids were off, Sean with a power inhibitor collar borrowed from Dec, since Leah needed hers more, it was time for a better explanation of the situation, so Dec carried Leah into the family room, laying her out on a couch, and sittting down on the floor near her himself.

"Why is Leah unconscious, anyway?" Deak asked. "Empathic overload?"

"Pregnant with octuplets," Dec supplied, totally deadpan. "So yeah, I guess you could say empathic overload."

"Octuplets?" Deak said. "Is there any way to stop the pack from getting any bigger?"

"If there is, I dunno what," Nate said, as the older kids filed into the room, followed finally by the rest of the adults. "But I would like to know the history of this universe. I know we're in Geneva now, and that this is the secondary base. Safer from Sinister, our Deak said."

Deak nodded his agreement, and let Will take up the history of this universe's 'pack'.

"Me and Mike met when I was eleven," she started. "He was fourteen, and Alec was a very cute lil five year old. We married, secretly, when I was eighteen. Were going to marry a few days after I turned 16, but Mike had a feeling it'd be a bad idea, and so we agreed 18 instead; he was insistent that it felt like a bad idea. When his parents found out, they disinherited him. Not because I was a mutant, only Mike, Alec and Sophia knew about that. They thought Mike had married below his station, and when he refused to annul the marriage, they struck him from their wills. Mike took my surname, not me taking his. We didn't really care for the Davenports, other than Alec and Sophia. They still cared for both of us, and we had the cash to live on. At twenty, I gave birth to quads, to sets of identical twin boys, so close in looks they looked to be identical quads. Jay, Jake, Josh & Joe."

"That's us," the cubs chimed in.

"I knew while pregnant that they had my abilities… well were canines, because I could sense them. Mike, Alec & Sophia were delighted with the news. All was fine until Mike was diagnosed with cancer when the cubs were two months old, and given a year - 18 months at most - to live. He died fourteen months later, I was almost 22. I lost the cubs. Mike's parents decided they wanted the boys and because I'd taken the 16 month old boys into the wilderness with me, they got temporary custody, citing my mental state. I was actually fine, well as fine as one can be after loosing their mate and best friend. Sophia was given charge of the boys, since they knew her. She and Alec were totally against the families actions. The Davenports also got a restraining order on me, using a trumped up psyche report. I broke it. Got caught playing with the cubs, backed into a corner. Instinct took over and I bit. Got locked up for almost a month, on a psyche hospital in solitary, lost custody of the cubs. When I got out I was threatened, leave and never contact them or else we will put them up for adoption, separately and you'll never see them again. It broke my heart, but I agreed, on the condition that Sophia got guardianship. The Davenports jumped at that. The chance to be rid of me, but not lose the grandkids. And not have to see the grandkids much either. They looked like Christmas had come early."

Matt hugged Will, giving her a little support, and she smiled as she continued.

"Sophia and Alec kept me updated, by e-mail and video phone. I wandered. Ended up back in New York, working as a court clerk. Thing is, Davenport saw me, and had the restraining order expanded, kicking me, effectively, out of New York. so I wandered some more, and ended up here at X-Corps about two months back. Met Matt, who'd just become leader back then. Whirlwind romance, started when we took the fight to Sinister. On our way back from that, we got a phone call from Davenport, saying something along the lines of 'You have full custody those mutant brats are not Davenports! Get them out of my city now!'."

"Blake tried to hijack the aircraft," Matt said. "She couldn't wait to get the cubs back."

"And we're glad it happened too," the cubs stated.

"Then, a month ago, me and Matt got married. Leah and Dec at the same time. We adopted the others about a week after we got back from New York."

"That means that the Davenport air crash in our universe was the one thing that kept us with you," Coop said, seriously, hugging Will. "Meaning Alec was still a Davenport there. How about here?"

Alec smiled.

"I hated what my parents did to Will. This made me even more rebellious than I already was. I got kicked out of a couple of schools and ended up in a military academy until I was 18. As soon as I graduated I legally changed my surname to Blake-Debonnaire. My parents flipped, and I left New York, to travel around the planet, getting involved in anything that interested me, be it a cause or a fun activity, until boredom set in, then I'd leave. They disinherited me, hoping I'd come to my senses after being cut off. Didn't work; I had an allowance from Greg Davenport's dad too, lived off that."

"We both kinda did," Cade said. "I got kicked out of home when I started displaying mutamt abilities at ten, my parents were kinda crap anyways. Ran away from foster homes, survived picking pockets, scamming people. I met Alec at military academy, where I was posing as a 16 year old to get the education. We hit it off immediately. And have been getting into trouble ever since. We met Leah soon after the attack on the Institute. She was running from an anti mutant mob, and while she was hiding we accidentally startled her making her astral project. Took us the next two hours to talk the terrified girl into trusting us, and she finally paid attention to her empathy crawling out of the hole she was hiding in. She quickly formed sibling bonds with us both as we got her to our apartment and got her clean clothes and fed. She's stayed with us from then on, until Dec got here. Dec's been real good for her."

Dec nodded.

"Which is saying a lot, since the first time we met I nearly gutted her," he said, with a smile.

"I was a mutant hater," he said. "With good reason. Like you, I'm not from this dimension, but a worse one than your own. I've always been part wolf. My father made me so to save my life. But essentially, in my world, I was human. And if you were human, you were slave to the rulers. Mutants, all of them. But some mutants, very few I could name, weren't Rulers. That started when humans lost the War, when I was six. My dad was a General, so they killed him straight off, without hiding it from me. Killed him in front of me, then enslaved me. Few years went by, with beatings and baitings and the like, then I beat the crap outta this Ruler kid. They damned near beat me to death. Woulda been better for them if they had done, 'cos the mutant who bought me was a healer named Gradion. One of the better mutants. He healed me up, taught me a loada stuff slaves didn't need to know, then unleashed me on the Rulers. How I got here, I don't know, but I'm glad I'm here. Although Deak did give me some X-genes 'cos I was dumb enough to try take Sinister on alone. That was painful, and not something I'll do again any time soon."

Dec stopped talking and looked at Leah as she started to stir. 


	4. Let the insanity begin

Disclaimer: Sinister, DareDevil, and any other Marvel characters who appear in this fic are not my property. This is a non-commercial venture. Disclaimer 2: Any OC's in this fic are the property of WesternBlakeHawke and myself. The two AU's in this universe are the work of myself (AoS 2), Blake (AoS 2), and various admins at http:ageofsinister. (AoS 1). Various aspects of the kids' profiles will be revealled during this fic, which will hopefully keep running...

INSERT FURTHER DISCLAIMER OF CHOICE HERE

And btw, laidenlover... Ya ain't seen a horde yet...

ominous violin chords a la Psycho

As Leah awoke, she looked petrified. Dec gave her a hug, and there were reassurances from all those present, including, and more to the point especially, Cade. Eventually she calmed down, not realising that Dec head slightly turned her power inhibitor down, so some of her calmness came from those surrounding her. When she was relaxed enough, Dec gave her a hug. Cooper smiled, blushing red.

"Sorry I made you, y'know, pass out," he said.

Leah gave him a shy smile and spoke quietly.

"That's okay Coop, you weren't being mean... well not to me... I woulda found out at the first scan, least I fainted in front of family."

"Yeah," Dec said. "At least it wasn't in front of the doctors."

"Most of us here have something against doctors," Jay said. "They tried to split us up when I got hurt. Hospitals are bad."

Cade looked at Cooper, then at Will.

"Well if there were any doubts about this story washing, Coop certainly got rid of them. He's definitely Will's kid. Using the truth to wind people up."

"We already knew that, Cade," Will said. "Scented it on them."

"Us too," the cubs said. Deak nodded his agreement.

"Definitely Will's," he said.

"'Sides," Jake continued," the bios all look like mom, dad, dad, Alec, Sophia and mom's parents and grandparents... we've seen photos."

"Yeah," Joe said. "Coop looks loads like Alec did at eleven. We saw school pictures."

Alec pulled a face as the cubs mentioned school photos, but nodded.

"Can't disagree with that," he said. "And I definitely see family in the eight Blake-Debonnaires."

Will nodded.

"Yeah I see my side in all of them... why are we giving you more proof? My nose says they're mine so they are, you shouldn't need anything else."

Cade held up his hands in age-old surrender.

"I never said I needed proof. I said if there were any doubts. Which there obviously aren't."

Matt nodded.

"Definitely no doubts," he said.

Will grinned and snuggled into Matt's side.

"I get my adopted kids before Tori turnedfive, and sixteen bio's without the pregnancies... Nice and easy... We're still having 4 bios though."

Cade gaped at this revelation.

"More kids?" he said. "You still want more kids?"

Matt just smiled, kissing Will on the forehead.

Will hugged Matt and looked at Cade.

"Yes." She said firmly with a slight glare.

Matt returned the hug, and turned his blank gaze on Cade.

"But no more bios until Tori's six, now," he said. "By which time the triplets'll be five."

Will frowned.

"Thats a big gap... or are you going to let me fill it with adopted kids?"

"Adopted kids occassionally," Matt said. "As the Templetons and Danni hit eighteen."

"One to replace each adult? What if I fall for siblings?"

"Then I guess I'll have to lose my tough alter-ego image and give in," Matt said with a sigh.

A huge grin on her face, Will hugged him again.

"Thanks Matt."

Alec shook his head, grinning.

"That's how you fathered 8 kids... well you're alternate self did."

"Yeah u gave in to miss insane," Cade added, then grined. "Good choice then, but not now, you got to learn to say no to her."

"Well, if ya offering lessons, Cade..." Matt said with a grin, knowing Cade had just as hard a time saying no to Will as he did.

everyone laughed. Cade blushed and sighed.

"Okay, okay. you know you'll end up with a hundred kids, right, she's insane."

"Not that insane!" Will stated. "Sixty-four is my maximum."

The laughter stopped, and several jaws dropped. All the Blake-Debonnaires grinned, and whooped simultaneously.

"More siblings! That's soooooooooooooooo cool!"

"Will," Alec said to Will, as if confiding a great secret, "in sane people's books, that classifies you as insane."

Will growled.

"Using the truth to wind people up again," Matt said, slowly. "There should be a law against it."

"C'mon, Matt," Will said. "It's not like I'm suggesting we go out and adopt another twenty-four tomorrow."

"No..." Ames suddenly spoke up. "But it's my eighteenth birthday tomorrow..."

Cade threw a cushion at Ames.

"Big mouth!"

"Hey!" Ames said. "She woulda figured it out when Nate started giving me birthday bashes in the morning."

"Speaking of which," Matt said, "I think we should all head to bed. Maybe things'll be different in the morning, Cade." 


	5. Now for somethimg completely different

Disclaimer: Sinister, DareDevil, and any other Marvel characters who appear in this fic are not my property. This is a non-commercial venture. Disclaimer 2: Any OC's in this fic are the property of WesternBlakeHawke and myself. The two AU's in this universe are the work of myself (AoS 2), Blake (AoS 2), and various admins at http:ageofsinister. (AoS 1). Various aspects of the kids' profiles will be revealled during this fic, which will hopefully keep running...

"Callum! CALLUM!"

The woman sighed in frustration, as nine year old Lauren passed her on the stairs. Ten minutes later, Lauren was back, three year old Callum positively tugging her along. Lauren smiled at the woman, who shook her head. She'd initially thought Callum was autistic, but that had been no-noed by doctors, who said he was as good as gold for them. A little freaked when it came to needles, but what three year old wasn't?

The reason for Callum being called, and the other children too, for that matter, was Sunday Prayer, which Callum hated. He always stood there, mouth clamped shut. In the mock army gear he insisted on wearing, his pose made him look like a toy soldier, stood to attention, eyes front, no salute. As always, he stood between Lauren and her younger sister, six year old Faith. Faith stood in front of eldest sister Mara, aged fifteen.

Around a quarter of the kids here, the woman thought, were totally crazy, but the Gregson sisters were a godsend. For some reason, Callum had bonded with them, and they had bonded with him. Their reason was more obvious; a younger brother, the same age as Callum, killed in the same accident which had left them here in the first place. Callum? Lord only knew what his motives were.

Aija was holding her forehead again. Poor girl. The five year old had perfect eyesight, no strain, the opticians said, and scans had shown nothing untoward. However, the headaches insisted on being persistent, and the girl was now developing an immunity to kiddie aspirin and other suitable medications that had helped thusfar. She was stood beside Tyler, seven years old, who as usual was mouthing the words while his eyes flickered around the room, as if watching flies. Obviously disinterested. Then there was six year old Michael. Looked like an angel, but still had people problems. But then he and Sini, the four year old girl who was the only person Michael would go out of his way to talk to, had valid reasons. Both had been used in sick experiments, although neither, understandably, knew what had been done to them. Or if they did know, they refused to talk about it. They held hands now, like brother and sister, but they were definitely not genetically related. Michael had a lump on his back, but he refused to see any doctors about it. He'd nearly punched out the last doctor who tried to give him a routine check out. anyone in a white coat came near Michael, and you'd know in the next country. Further if your hearing was good.

Perhaps the most crazy of the younger kids was David Lewis. He was a healthy enough child, except for an insistence that he knew what the birds were saying. It would have been ignored, were it not for the fact that he sometimes thought he was a bird, and tried to jump from the third floor bannisters. Usually towards the end of spring, when the fledglings were learning to fly. Only Hazel Davies had stopped him from killing himself by pulling him backwards and telling him he was too young to fly yet, he needed to leave the nest first. Thing was, Hazel wasn't being sarcastic, or just playing along. She sounded like she meant it. Maybe she did. Although at seventeen, it was hard to tell with Hazel. Not so hard with Alyssa though. Like Callum, Alyssa preferred army style clothing. Unlike Hazel, Alyssa was almost always sarcastic, and had a sharp sense of humour. Alyssa was tougher than a girl her age should be, and quick to hit first, ask questions later. Except when it came to Eddie Dean. Alyssa and Eddie got on like a house on fire. Meaning when they really tried, you could count on things going up in flames, people running off screaming... Perhaps because Eddie had been born deaf, while somewhere along the line Alyssa had learnt sign language. Other than being deaf, Eddie gave Alyssa a run for her money. He didn't speak much, but when he did, it was almost always to Alyssa. If not to her, then to ask where she was.

Richard looked like he'd cut himself shaving again. Some would say a twelve year old shouldn't be shaving, but the majority of them had probably never met Richard Ascher. Poor boy couldn't go more than two days without having to shave. His room-mate, Steven Cooper, was a quiet boy, but very good with technology. The alarm system had faulted out the day Steven arrived, and the boy had quietly fixed it. Saved on callout fees, at least.

The twins, as always, were in their own little world. Sawyer and Scott Fallows were four years old, and the kind of children to really creep out even the most child-friendly adult. They never spoke to each other. At least, not when anyone could hear. Nor did they share any secret body language thing that anyone knew of. They just knew what each other wanted, and would do what ever they were able to in order to get it. Closely bonded. Besides them stood four year old Callie Matthews. A real water baby. She adored swimming, bath time... Refused point blank to shower, but at least she was always clean.

Another set of twins stood at the back of the room, with their friendship group. A group of four, consiting of the twins, Zane and Gina Shinoda, aged thirteen, fourteen year old Andrew Hooper, and fifteen year old Caleb Lindsey. The four of them weren't even attempting to look interested in what Father Callahan was saying. They were gathered around Andrew, who was probably showing off his newest magic trick. The boy had a knack for what he called transmutation. Which was part of magic, apparently. He'd probably end up playing Caesar's Palace in Vegas, if he had the choice. Caleb yawned, looking around and grinning at the woman who ran the care home, as if he were totally innocent. Cheeky, but it always worked. the twins saw his look, and shrugged.

There were around a hundred children in the small chapel. Apart from those already noted, she checked for five others. Maya Corcorun, Zachery Harrison, Curtis Moore, Mia Willis, and Taylor Young. Zachery and curtis were having a chat in the corner, probably continuing what ever conversation had started the night before about toy robots or Beast Wars. Maya sat, head bowed, probably praying for someone to adopt her. That's what her Christmas list had asked for. Parents. Maya had been orphaned at birth, but nobody had wanted to take her on. A crying shame, because she was a delightful child, most of the time. Which left Mia and Taylor. The two children, Mia aged ten and Taylor aged eleven, had arrived the same day, and being a total tomboy Mia had instantly hit it off with Taylor. They were both at the back of the chapel, sharing a set of headphones.

Lord help anyone crazy enough to adopt any of this lot, the woman thought, as the bell for sunday lunch rang out. 


	6. Back to business

Disclaimer: Sinister, DareDevil, and any other Marvel characters who appear in this fic are not my property. This is a non-commercial venture. Disclaimer 2: Any OC's in this fic are the property of WesternBlakeHawke and myself. The two AU's in this universe are the work of myself (AoS 2), Blake (AoS 2), and various admins at http:ageofsinister. (AoS 1). Various aspects of the kids' profiles will be revealled during this fic, which will hopefully keep running...

The house checks were done. All the kids had been interviewed by social services. Bret had dismantled one of the televisions, three stereos and had nearly destroyed the I-pod Ames had asked for for his eighteenth. Meg had turned six the Wednesday after Ames' birthday, which was on the Saturday. Blake and the others were starting to realise that if he hadn't been told to leave something alone, then Bret would dismantle it. And he didn't have the skill to put it back together again.

Blake thought Nate might have warned them.

Cade and Eli were now practically joined at the hip. It seemed that the chocolate smell had merely been a contributing factor to the year old's infatuation with his new uncle. The pair were inseperable.

The new den was still work in progress. Blake liked this idea, because she didn't know who she was going to adopt yet, to replace Ames in the Den. To this effect, Cade had assigned Leah and Dec to keep an eye on Will and Matt's adopting spree.

Like that was going to work.

Blake had asked Mrs Sharpe if she knew of any child care homes who needed a little room freeing up, and the woman had smiled, offering them the address of a place where Social Services belived a mutant boy was staying. So, minus inhibitor collars and other obviously different items- Dec's eyes were the emerald green - sapphire blue colour that had hooked Leah in the first place instead of the red quartz colour of the contacts the X-Corps medics insisted he wore, and Matt, reluctantly, was actually using his cane- the two couples headed off to the address, having rung ahead.

All the kids, fully one hundred and two of them, were ready to be met by the couples. Callum was stood with Alyssa and Eddie, signing something for Eddie's benefit. Eddie grinned, and shook his head, signing back as a limo pulled to a halt outside the building. The kids stared as Matt, Will, Leah and Dec stepped out. Leah immediately ran and hugged Michael, who blushed and returned the hug. Will gave Dec a look, and Dec shrugged.

"Hormonal, maternal empath," he said softly. "That kid's had it rough."

"Wonder which one's Callum," Will said, softly, noticing that a little boy in army style gear looked at her when she said the name. "Callum?" she asked, looking at the boy. an older boy with the young one signed something, and Callum nodded.

Matt frowned.

"He's signing, Matt," Dec said, as Leah returned, holding Michael's hand. "But he's not deaf. I think his friend is."

"Callum's standing with a boy about 17 years old, he signed that Callum should say yes." Will added

Just then, the woman walked up, somewhat flustered.

"Mr and Mrs Murdock?" she asked. "I'm Kelly Chancellor, Director here. We understand you wish to meet Callum."

Matt nodded.

"And your friends have already found Michael. He's got a people problem, we're afraid. Doctors in particular."

"Has some sense then," Dec and will said with feeling, simultaneously, making Michael giggle, then hide his face behind Leah's arm.

Will smiled.

"Makes a change, huh, Leah? We found a kid more bashful than you."

Leah blushed, and Dec hugged her.

Ms Chancellor smiled, and Dec scanned the crowd of kids, his eyes landing on Tyler, who was looking right at him. Dec beckoned the boy over, and Tyler complied. Callum came over as soon as he saw the adults were safe, and Matt, Will and Dec's nostrils all flared.

"Kid smells a lil like Logan," Dec said softly.

"I think we should go inside," Ms Chancellor said.

Cade was going to freak out.

They ended up with twenty four more children, Dec and Leah with two more. It had started when Callum refused to leave without Faith, Lauren and Mara, and gotten steadily harder to refuse from then on. The kids were all either adorable, tough, or both. Matt was almost certain Callum was Weapon-X, and Alyssa sure wasn't a run of the mill human either. Twenty six kids... Sixty-two including the ones at home.

"Cade's gonna go nuts," Dec said, as the limo was replaced with the Sharpe Inc. tourbus.

Packed up, luggage in the luggage compartment of the bus, the kids clambered on to the vehicle, followed by the four adults. Michael was hugging close to Leah, while four year old Sini was sat on Matt's lap. Various chatter sprung up, then, eventually, Alyssa asked the question that silenced the group.

"So what is this, some international kiddie smuggling scam?"

Will cracked up laughing, breaking the silence, and pretty much confirming that it wasn't a child-smuggling ring.

Matt smiled.

"Contrary to appearances," he said, "we aren't exactly human-"

"You're aliens!" Curtis yelled "COOL!"

"No, Curtis," Matt continued. "We're not aliens, either."

Curtis slumped in his chair, disappointed. Will was still laughing hysterically, so Dec grinned at Curtis.

"We're mutants."

Will looked at Dec, laughter dying out.

"Did you just say you were a mutant?" she asked.

"I am a mutant," Dec said. "Deosn't mean I have to like it, but I am."

He looked at Will, and shrugged.

There was snikt sound from Callum's direction, as claws the length of his forearm popped across his knuckles.

"Dey's bin hurtin'," he said. "But me's no able to pop 'em."

"Stuff safety," Will said. she was out of her seat and hugging Callum before anyone could stop her. Callum unpopped his claws, the wounds healing right up, so he wouldn't hurt Will.

"This still doesn't explain why you adopted twenty-four kids," Alyssa said.

"Sure it does," Will stated. "My mutancy makes me very wolflike, and I love kids. the more the better, mine or adopted."

"That's true," Matt agreed.

"Matt," Will said, "imagine a tongue being poked out at you."

"How about Tyler and Michael?"

Dec smiled.

"We couldn't leave Michael," he said, speaking for Leah. "After what he's been through, poor kid, he needs to be with people who are gonna help him with his ability. And Tyler's just plain cute."

"Ability? Michael?" Alyssa frowned

"Me and Sini both got abilities," Michael said, shyly, shocking all the kids but Sini, since they'd never heard him speak before. Scream blue murder, yes, but not talk. "Lab kids."

He clammed up again as Leah hugged him to her side, Matt hugging Sini.

"Dey close da labs dow' though," Sini said. "Whe' they re'lised tha' kids were be'n' used."

Still hugging Callum, Will snarled. Dec frowned.

"Guess in this dimension, its the humans who are the ba- bad guys," he said, stopping himself from swearing at the last moment.

Will stopped snarling. "No here it's fifty fifty, Sinister likes experimenting to."

"This dimension?" Caleb asked.

"I'll explain later," Dec said. "It gets kinda quantum."

"Physics?" Caleb said. "I know a bit about physics. Sound waves and that kinda thing in particular. I'm a subsonic screamer."

Matt, Dec and Will all winced.

"What?" Caleb asked.

"Two wolves and a blind man with very sensetive ears," Will said.

"Oh," Caleb answered. "Sorry."

"No screaming near us and no problem CAleb... your great uncle Deak's a banshee and 4 brothers when they meld and a sister are to." Will iomediately reassured the boy with a smile. "No scremaing around the wolves and Matt... only the wolf banshees are immune, Deak, Jay, Jake, Josh & Joe and Cassidy."

"Well, if everyone else is gonna have 'abilities' I guess I should join in," Alyssa spoke up. "Alyssa Josephson, Triple-X 334. General testtube baby experimental super soldier kid."

Still hugging Callum, Will growled. "How many of the super soldeir projects are there" she askled rhetorically.

"Too many," Matt stated.

"Lets take over the planet, that way no more of 'em." Will said only half joking.

"You tell me how to get rid of sinister," Matt stated, "And I'll take you up on world domination."

His smile showed he was joking.

"Send him to another dimension," Will suggested.

"How?" Matt asked.

"I dunno," Will said. "Have Hank and the techs work on it."

"I can talk to birds," David said, out of the blue. "I can almost fly."

"You can almost break your neck," Hazel said. "If I hadn't stretched my arm to catch you, you woulda been so much roadkill."

Will looks at David. "No trying to fly unless you morph, or get the ability to levitate or fly, that means taking off from the ground not jumping off of high things." She gently but firmly ordered.

David pouted.

"Birds learn by jumpin' off of things," he said.

"You are a human, not a bird. Hazel & others won't always be around to catch you... talking to birds is useful, hmmm what about those who can morph into a bird?" She morphed to a hawk

She morphed to a hawk. David put his hands to his mouth and mimicked a hawk cry, trying to say 'Hi, not sure I can do this'

Will replied in Hawk.

"Hi David, you just did, well done kiddo."

Then she morphed back to human form, grinning at David, who grinned back.

"For those of us who don't speak bird, did you understand him and vice versa?" Dec asked. Then he answered his own question. "Since ya both grinning like Chesire cats I guess you did."

"Any more of you kids got abilities?" Will asked, surveying the bus.

Andrew looked at Will and grinned.

"I can alter inorganic molecular structure."

He demonstrated on the coach seat back, he was sitting behind Matt & Sini.

"Next time, I want a warning before my seat is turned to raspberry jelly," Matt said, seriously.

Will burst out laughing.

"Least no wasps around or anyone who morphs into one... right?"

She looked at the kids.

The kids all shook their heads, apart from Steven, who was deeply engrossed in a book. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson.

Will looked at him.

"Steven, you don't turn into a wasp or any other insect do you?"

She asked as she used TK to gently remove the book, making sure to keep his place.

"You can read later, interaction helpful at the minute."

"Wha-?" Steven looked at Will and frowned. "Oh, right. No, no insects. Can do pretty good impressions of computer viruses though. I can fix jus' 'bout anythin'."

Will grinned.

"You can? Brilliant, Matt's son Bret loves taking things apart, he's not good at putting things back together."

Steven smiled.

"OUR son," Matt stated, pointedly. "Sam is mine, Cooper is yours, Bret is ours."

"Since Mike was Coops bio dad, that's fine but I'm Sam's mom, for all he takes more after you, he's still a wolf as well as a nutcase."

Matt grinned.

"Me, lawyer," he said. "You not. You know damned well what I meant."

Will grinned back.

"Yeah but I'm pedantic... Okay so we're both responsible for Bret being a pest with dismantling everything that he's not told not to, Sam definitely takes more after you though, apart from the wolf stuff he's a mini you... Cooper yeah guilty."

She held her hands up, still grinning.

"Look's like Alec, but personality is both mine and Mike's more annoying traits."

Maya smiled.

"You got a big family?" she asked. "I always wanted a big family."

Will laughed.

"You could say its big" she told the five year old. "You have 36 siblings at home, and two other uncles and a great uncle... and a great aunt in New York."

"Plus eight cousins on the way," Dec and Leah added simultaneously. "That'll be siblings in the case of Michael and Tyler, who have 36 cousins waiting at home."

Maya grinned, eyes wide, like all five of her Christmases and birthdays had come at once.

"Never had a proper fam'ly b'fore," she said. "Kids always come and go at the care home."

Eddie, sat next to Callum, signed something suddenly. Callum nodded.

"Eddie says 'at means we each have fif'y-nine siblin's," Callum said, for Matt's benefit. The rest of the kids, who had been coming to this conclusion them selves, all made some comment, or noise or another. Ty looked at Leah and smiled.

"Not all of us," he said. "Me 'n' Michael only gots eight on the way. That's an easy big family. 59 names is a lot to 'member."

Scott and Sawyer had been quiet for a while, and eventually Sawyer spoke up.

"Me 'n' Scott are telepathic," he said. "But on'y with each other. Scott sometimes forgets to speak out loud."

This admission from one set of twins set the other set of twins grinning.

"Us too," Zane stated. "We got talent. Not telepathy, but kinesis. I'm geokinetic, and Gina's aerokinetic."

Will grinned.

"That's great kids... hmm if Ryan as an ice wielder can be water, with Rowanne a pyro we've a full set.."

She moved to Swayer and Scott and crouched next to their seats..

"Twin telepathy? Well my quads also have that ability, though they talk as well, just tend to talk together most of the time. And although no telepathy, well of the identical twin kind, between non-identical twins Bret and Ben, Bret's the more talkative on most topics, and Ben tends to let him talk for them both... so Sawyer letting you speak for you both is fine... don't worry that you forget to speak aloud sometimes, Scott."

She gave both boys a hug.

"We've plenty of talkers in the pack." She added in complete understatement.

"Understatement of the century," Dec said. "Tori and Jas alone could talk any politician to a standstill. The rest of 'em? I think it's genetic. Least our kids'll be quiet, broody types."

Will not being near enough to physically ruffle his hair used TK to ruffle it.

"Most of 'em are talkers,only twenty are bio. Yeah that they will be, poor Matt my talkative genes beat his quiet ones in most of the kids."

She grinned and finally moved back to sitting next to Matt.

"I know noise is good for you Matt, but we must drive you nuts sometimes."

Matt smiled.

"You can tell when I'm getting annoyed," he said. "I switch on the stereo and turn it up loud so I can see which kid to cuff for talkin' too much," he joked.

Will laughed at that and gave him a hug.

"Huh? What do you mean so you can see? You a human bat?" Alyssa queired slightly sarcastically.

"Ain't no such thing as a human bat," Matt said. "But I'm the closest thing ya can get to one. Echo-location, very sensitive hearing."

"Really that's cool, so with noise you aint blind..." Alyssa got it.

"But to much would be bad." She figured it out.

Will nodded.

"Hence the wince at Caleb's power... Any more screamers?" She suddenly thought to ask.

The kids who hadn't stated powers shook their heads, then Eddie signed Only Callie if you try get her to shower. She insists on baths.

Will laughed at that and translated for Matt.

"Eddie said only Callie screams if you try to get her to shower.She insists on baths."

Matt smiled.

"I think Eddie gets it easy. He can lipread, right?"

"He can speak too," Alyssa said. "He just signs stuff 'cos it's easier for him."

Will nodded and smiled at Eddie and said and signed.

Signing classes then for the pack, you'll have to speak for Matt, Sam and Erin, they're blind to.

OK, no problem.Eddie signed.

"Will says you're gonna have to learn sign language," he told Matt.

"That'll only work for Matt, Sam and Erin if there's enough noise, so you'll have to speak sometimes. Erin's only one and Sam four, Sam should pick it up pretty quick, Erin you'll definitely need to talk for, although babies do well with learning to sign." Will replied looking thoughtful, again speaking and signing.

Eddie smiled, signing to Will, speaking for Matt.

"I meant so he- or they- can talk to me and Callum and Alyssa. All three of us can sign. Callum sometimes goes real fast."

Will grinned at Callum, and continued, still speaking and signing.

"Well signing is now on the school curriculum... Adults included... Although your uncles Alec and Cade can both sign... hmm Matt how about adding it for all the kids, not only pack?"

Matt shrugged.

"I'll see what I can talk Mr Sharpe in to," he said. "Sounds like a good idea though. Reaching out to the deaf humans, showing them we don't wanna cause trouble, or annihilate them for 'posing a threat to the gene pool'."

Will snorted.

"Only idiots want that... Mr Sharpe should go for it, its another language to learn and signing is useful among the hearing to... although Alec, Cade and I use the language Mike and Alec made up as kids, not proper sign language."

Sounds coolEddie signed. Would you mind if I learned?

Leah looked at Eddie and smiled shyly. "I'll happily learn to sign."

"Me too," Dec said. "Could be useful."

Matt smiled.

"I think Mr S'll agree," he said. "But I gotta run it past him anyway."

Will smiled at Eddie and signed.

I'll happily teach you our private signs, Alec and Cade will to.

"Yeah he's the boss." Will replied to Matt.

"I get the feeling I'm gonna have to teach Erin to sound-see," Matt said. "And have the stereo system upgraded."

Will laughed.

"Well you were going to have to teach her that anyway... we'll add upgraded stereo to the shopping list."

She gave him another hug then looked thoughtful.

"You know even with Dec and Leah moving out and an extra two level's we're not all going to fit into one den... how about Alec, Cade and those over 17 move into a neighbouring apartment... although everyone'll still probably live in the main den, just sleep in their own, so won't stop us talkers from driving you nuts."

"Wouldn't'a done anyway," Matt stated. "Telephone system's real good, even if I locked myself in an empty room, the telepaths'd still drive me nuts."

"Poor baby," Will grinned continuing to hug him.

"Damned right," Matt said with a grin. "The lot of you are gonna turn me into an asylum case."

He was only joking, though, and that was obvious. Will continued hugging him, and grinned.

"You already are a basketcase," she told him. "Just ask Cade."

"So Cade's Matt's brother or yours?" Alyssa questioned. "And Alec and who's sibling to Dec or Leah? Who's related to Sophia and Deak?"

"I'm an only child," Dec said. "Matt too. Alec is Will's brother-in-law, my honourary bro-in-law. Cade's an honourary brother to Leah, Alec and Will, so an honourary brother-in-law to me and Matt. And Leah is honourary sister to Cade, Alec and Will."

The complexity of it was apparently lost on Dec, who reeled off that set of relationships as easily as if he were counting to ten. Then Will took it up.

"Sophia is Alec's aunt, my aunt-in-law. She's the cubs' great aunt. Deak is John Deacon, although sometimes he answers to Sean. He's my great-to-the-power-of-six uncle. I think. Might be seven, not six. Banshees are longlived, apparently he's a baby in banshee terms."

Alyssa took the data in her stride until Deak was mentioned, then she blinked.

"Banshee? Like in legends... how old is he if he's only a baby in Banshee terms but Will's 6 or 7 times great uncle?... Also Will you look damn good for having had twenty kids... have you not heard of contraception?"

Some of the younger kids looked shocked, while Richard, Zane and Andrew smirked.

"What?" Alyssa said. "She's got twenty biological kids, it's a perfectly reasonable question."

"I'm a pretty strict Catholic," Matt muttered, with an impish grin.

"Deak is one-hundred and fifty-eight," Will said, pretending not to hear Matt's mutter. "And the bio kid thing is kinda complicated. Alternate universe, a few days ago two dozen kids turn up from one. Their versions of me and Matt had been killed, their Deak sent them to us because there are no other versions of them in this universe, and me and Matt were together and it's relatively safe... Their Will had eight kids with Mike, first husband died of cancer, and eight kids with Matt, the other eight were adopted. I'm a wolf, we always have multiple births and love kids. In the alternate universe, Will had two sets of triplets and a set of twins by each husband, in this universe I have a set of quads by Mike. And I'm not pregnant now so obviously using contraception."

"So why's Leah having multiples? Is she wolf too?" Alyssa asked.

"No," Leah said, quietly, blushing. "I'm just married to one."

"Yeah, but you knew that when we met," Dec said, smiling. "I may have never claimed to be a mutant before, but I've always told you I'm a wolf."

"I didn't put you being a wolf together with me having multiples." Leah softly argued. "Twins to quads would be fine but I get octuplets..." She paled again.

Dec hugged her as Will spoke up.

"Give Dec diaper duty all by himself," Will suggested with an evil grin.

Leah smiled a little, as Dec glared.

"I think we should gag Cooper," he stated.

"You'd have found out at the first scan, or Sam woulda spilled on hearing 8 heartbeats... Ever hear of a vasectomy Dec?" Will asked. "Not Coop's fault you got Leah pregnant with 8, don't gag the messanger."

Dec gave Blake a look.

"Not totally my fault!" he stated. "Genetically my family's always had singles and twins. Even the wolf cub I was joined with only had two sibs."Will shrugged.

"But you're the wolf, so you're fault... like my multiples are mine."

Dec sighed then.

"Guess I'll have to concede that point," he said.

"You said joined," Alyssa said slowly. "What does that mean?"

"Difficult story," Dec said. "Seems there are a lot of them going around. I'm not from this dimension either, as I said earlier."

He talked quietly, but the whole bus was silent. It was easy to see, for those who knew him, why he'd been the lead Rebel Wolf his code name now proclaimed him as.

"In the dimension where I come from, mutants have a tendency to be not very nice people. I was born human. No X-gene, no radiation, just a human kid. But I was a weak child. My mother died in childbirth, and I was too early. My father told me as I grew older that the skin on my arms and legs was still translucent, he could see the muscle and flesh. So, leaving me for less than half an hour with his brother, he went out, and found a group of men baiting a wolf cub. He bought the cub, and managed to kinda turn me and the cub into just me. A Joining."

There was silence for a few minutes, during which Leah hugged Dec, then Caleb spoke.

"So being joined with a wolf makes you a kinda mutant."

Dec shook his head.

"In the other dimension, Joinings aren't considered mutants. A mutant is purely genetic, father to son kinda thing, predestined before birth. In this universe, Alec or Cade told me, I am a mutant. I told them to go laugh up some other tree. But now, I am a mutant. Gene therapy and all to prove it."

Will rolled her eyes.

"Matt and I also told ya that being part wolf makes you a kind of mutant... and the gene therapy was because you stupidly went against Sinister alone and came back pretty much dead, only way to save you was to mutate you."

"I never said I hadn't done something to lead to the gene therapy," Dec said. "I just figured if they wanted to know they'd ask. Alyssa's doing pretty good so far."

Will nodded.

"Yes she is, but you were a complete idiot and as your big sister I get to tell everyone that from time to time, and I had the perfect opening."

She moved so he could see her face and she stuck out her tongue, then sombered.

"Also four of the kids have been experiments, Dec, so should be pointed out that you were mutated to save you... all of our other kids have their X-gene activated. In the alternate dimension, Sinister activated those in the younger kids, the older ones were already active. Subject that they have to bring up, don't question them, they were used to destroy X-Corps and their parents... Bring it up, don't come crying to us when Nate throws you across the room. The twelve kids Matt and I adopted were in an orphanage that activated kids' X-Genes. If the kids let on they were experimented on, ours didn't let on. The quads got the ability to morph at 6, were born with the wolf senses and in the last two months got the ability to merge into one, a 16 year old, who can scream and fly."

Mia, sat next to Taylor, whispered in her friend's ear.

"Tell 'em, Tay," Mia said in Taylor's ear. "They'll find out eventually."

Will and Dec shared a look, while Matt gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"How 'bout you, Taylor?" Will asked.

Taylor didn't say anything, but gave a little demonstration, shrinking in size then returning to her own.

"I don't like to do it much," she said. "I can't control it properly, if I lose concentration during a shift, I can get stuck. Still new to it."

"She shrank to about 3 inches." Will said to Matt as she smiled at Taylor.

"That's okay Taylor, most of the kids at X-Corps are still learning to control their abilities, that's part of the curriculum as well as more normal lessons like math. You'll all learn better control of your abilities and also other useful subjects like martial arts, climbing...Not only are the kids still learning, the adults are too."

Like with signing lessonsEddie signed for Will. Alyssa smiled, and translated into sound for Matt.

"Eddie said that signing was a lesson too," Alyssa told Matt. "What I want to know is, what's X-Corps. you keep mentioning it."

"Matt'll explain." Will volunteered him.

Matt smiled.

"Gee, thanks, Will," he said, sarcastically, before continuing anyway. "X-Corps is the pseudo-military section of Sharpe Inc. Made up of mostly, but not exclusively, mutants. X-Corps replaced the X-Men when the latter were destroyed by Sinister's forces. We train people up, offer them safety, self confidence. They only have to go up against Sinister if they want to, we don't force anyone into anything they don't wanna do. Apart from routine physicals. Sorry Michael."

"The doctors are alright Michael, Dec and Leah wil be with you and only an idiot would anger Dec." Will told the boy smiling at him. "Matt you run X-Corps so who better to explain it? 'Sides I'd done most of the talking as usual." She complained.

"You're more talkative than me," Matt said. "You know that. I'm more content to listen."

He hugged Will though, as if to apologise for not talking.

"Lemme see," he continued. "We've had Dec's wolf thing explained, and Will's family links. How about how a blind kid learned not to fear a thing?"

"Me's wanna hear that." Callum told him, grinning.

Hugging Matt back, Will whispered in his ear.

"Going to tell them who you are now? Good idea."

Then she recalled Callum's mentioning his claws.

"Callum you can pop your claws anytime you need to, no one'll blink an eye at home... we've an adult version of you, and you popping your claws won't often mean trouble." She grinned at him.

Matt smiled, waiting for complete silence. Then he started on his story. 


End file.
